NBA Playoff Standings 2015: Blazers, Clippers Win Big As Playoffs Approach


NBA playoff standings for 2015 continue to be fluid in the Western Conference. As the 2015 NBA Playoffs quickly approach, the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers have become two teams with must-win games almost every night. The Blazers played Saturday night, April 4, against the New Orleans Pelicans in a contest that directly impacted seeding. They won 99-90 thanks to All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard carrying the team on their backs.

The Clippers also won a tough road game against the Denver Nuggets (107-92) thanks to some tough defense and a remarkable 22 rebounds from DeAndre Jordan. All five starters scored in double-figures as well, showing the balanced attack that has won nine of the last 10 games they have played. The Clippers improved to 51-26 with the victory, staying slightly ahead of the 50-26 Blazers when it comes to home-court advantage in the first-round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

In the updated NBA playoff standings, the Portland Trail Blazers maintain the No. 4 seed and the Los Angeles Clippers stay at No. 5. The Blazers are No. 4 due to a Northwest Division title, but will have to open the postseason on the road if the fifth seed finishes with a better record. The teams would play each other in the first round at this point, with the first two games taking place at Staples Center unless something shifts.

The Golden State Warriors (63-13) have already clinched the top seed in the West and are currently on a 12-game winning streak. As previously reported on the Inquisitr, the Warriors have been able to make this remarkable run with a new head coach, Steve Kerr, calling the shots. Golden State is followed by the Houston Rockets (52-24) as the No. 2 seed and the Memphis Grizzlies (52-25) as the No. 3 seed. Further down the NBA playoff standings for the West, the San Antonio Spurs (50-26) are at No. 6, the Dallas Mavericks (46-31) are at No. 7, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (42-34) currently sit at No. 8.

The Pelicans really needed to beat the Blazers on Saturday night, as the team could have been tied with the Thunder for the eighth seed. Instead, the team fell to 41-35 on the season and a game back of making it into the 2015 NBA Playoffs. The Pelicans have some tough games against the Warriors, Grizzlies, Suns, and Spurs coming up. Oklahoma City has games against the Spurs, Blazers, Rockets and Indiana Pacers, who just got their young All-Star, Paul George, back after a horrific leg-break last August. That could be a tough road for the Thunder.

With less than two weeks until the 2015 NBA Playoffs begin, time is running out for teams to make that late push. The teams are very bunched up in the Western Conference and things could shift in just two days time. The team with the easiest shot at moving up the NBA playoff standings would be the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have two games coming up against a Los Angeles Lakers team that has stopped trying to win.

[Image Source: Steve Dykes/Getty Images]

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